American First Lady Laura Bush will begin an official visit to Israel Sunday, and plans to visit the Temple Mount ,Western Wall, and a church in Jericho, Yedioth Ahronoth has learned.
U.S. officials say the first lady has asked to honor Israel's three religions during the visit next week and will also visit the Yad Vashen Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.
Women’s rights in region
Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes, the wife of Foreign Minster Silvan Shalom is set to receive the first lady upon her arrival, because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is a widower.
The six-day tour aimed at, among other things, advancing the regional peace process will begin in Jordan where she is slated to deliver a speech in an economic conference in Amman.
She will later continue for short visits to Egypt and Israel.
The first lady plans to focus her attention on the advancement of women’s rights in the Middle East, but will also devote her attention to advancing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in accordance with the U.S.-backed road map.